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With no formal training, at the age of 29, Arthur Hammer began painting ----just canvas, brushes, and encouragement from his wife.  "A cab driver by day, and artist by night, Hammer's work bridges raw expression with deep humanity". [1963, solo show]

 

Arthur Hammer (1932-2012), a multi-disciplined artist who embraced several mediums, including  oils, pastels, sculptures, and abstracts.  As a figurative artist, he was strongly influenced by the works of German Expressionist, Max Beckmann, portrait artist Alice Neel, and American modernist, Marsden Hartley.  

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His Early Life:​

In 1960,  at the age of 28, he was given his first canvas, paints, and brushes by his wife, Jean. Although completely untrained, and rudimentary, he began to paint.  Below are the first 3 paintings he painted, which include his wife, Jean, and his Mother-in-law, Catherine.

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His first Solo Show, 1963:​

​​​​​​​​​​​After painting for less than two years, he was offered a solo show, in 1963, at The Gallery of Four Walls, in NYC. In advertising his first solo show the advertisement read: ...".That Art Hammer drives a cab in New York City almost fifty hours a week, which makes it almost humanely impossible to follow his painting pursuits.  But he does.  And he does it beautifully."  

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Modern Influences​

​​​Although he began his art career later in life, while also pursuing acting, for which he trained, he was a prolific painter, portraits being his favorite subjects to paint.  He went through several stages as an artist, gaining multiple patrons, who eventually became friends.  Many of whom sustained and supported him in his later life.  Amongst his friends he was often referred to as “the poor man’s Alice Neel”......as is evidenced in his portraits.  Ex: A frequent model, and friend, "Jenny C.":

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​His Masterwork [according to the artist]

Despite the fact that he was never formally trained, his directness, and lack of pretension, as well as, his own  enigmatic, and eccentric qualities, combined with his  intensity of color, can be said to be the hallmarks of his works, of which there have been hundreds. In addition to painting, Hammer also often made, and designed his own frames, which enhanced his work, as is evidenced in his 2004, oil on board, masterwork, ROLLING the LOGS

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His Later years: ​​​​

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​​​​In 1999, after working for various art dealers, where he learned "the art of selling art",  he opened his own gallery on West 26th Street. There he concentrated on selling both his own works, as well as the works of the WPA. 

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After spending many years successfully selling his own works, as well as the work of other artists, in 2005, Arthur Hammer closed his gallery on West 26th Street, and devoted himself to painting everyday, and only selling his own works, which sustained him through 2012, when he passed away, after fighting prostate cancer for almost 20 years. His last two portraits were painted shortly before he passed: The Artist at age 79, and girlfriend, Wendy Steginsky.